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Saturday, February 4, 2012

Laughing at Scientology

We really have entered into a new stage in the fight against the Church of Scientology's crimes, abuse and fraud.

For the most part, previous exposure of the church's evil has been brought about by outsiders -- ex-Scientologists, reporters, critics and various victims. Marty and the Independents have been exposing carefully selected abuses (making sure that nothing is exposed that might reflect badly on L. Ron Hubbard himself) but they are, by their own statements, outsiders to the church.

With Debbie Cook's email and subsequent reactions, we have exposure of abuses coming from inside the church. The battle is now also between the Church of Scientology leadership and people who still consider themselves members of the church.

In addition, there are, today, a number of other very serious actions going on. There are serious books about Scientology, serious newspaper, TV and magazine exposés about Scientology and other serious court cases involving the church.

All this is good and necessary to the exposure of the Church of Scientology's crimes and eventual bringing to justice of David Miscavige and other Scientology criminals. Pop the popcorn and pull up a chair, this show is getting very interesting.

But I don't think we should take any particular event too seriously. No one court case is that important. Inevitably, the church will still win some while it loses others. It will be the mass of exposure and court losses for the church that count. Bit by bit the crimes and abuses are being exposed and documented. Things proven in court cannot be "unproven".

However, speaking of all this serious business reminds me: Let us not forget what was key in helping destroy the myth of the "great and powerful" Church of Scientology -- laughter!

It was, more than anything else, Anonymous and their monthly protest-parties that destroyed the Church of Scientology's mythical shield that protected them for so long. It was Anonymous that showed us that the church had no answer to laughter, happiness and fun.

Certainly, the seriousness is important in the court and in well-researched book, newspaper or TV exposés -- but if we become too serious, we will have abandoned our best weapon against the Church of Scientology and David Miscavige.

Happily, the irrepressible Tony Ortega at the Village Voice and a few others continue the tradition of laughing at Miscavige, Hubbard and the Church of Scientology. And, yes, some Anonymous are still protesting. With all this seriousness going on, we shouldn't forget to also keep laughing -- it's good for the soul and bad for the church.
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You have to laugh at the fight between Debbie and Miscavige. Here she was, one the very biggest money-makers in all of Scientology and now she turns on Miscavige for doing exactly what she was doing (and getting well rewarded for).

At the same time she was living the good life, with her new car and the best food and accommodations, she was bossing around $50/week Sea Org slaves and, I am sure, sending the "bad" ones off to the abuses of her own RPF. And now she, like Marty, avoids all responsibility and blames it all on Miscavige.

While I certainly think her email was a very good and brave thing, and I do hope she wins in this recent lawsuit, I do not for a minute think she has yet "made up the damage" that she did back when she was in power. I'd say she has a lot of apologizing to do at the very least.

The idea of her attacking Miscavige for the same abuses she participated in is a good laugh.

What I like is that anyone who has any real ability is now running away from them (people with any real integrity left long ago.) This means that climate has gotten so toxic that even if you don't have any morals, it is still against your best interest to stay. At the end only people left will be mentally ill, totally incompetent and completely brainwashed. This will greatly reduce ability of official Scientology to really do anything, even if they have infinite amount of money left.

In the leadership levels of the church, there is only David Miscavige. He couldn't run a hotdog stand. There is no one left who is competent to run the church. No one to warn David that he is making massive mistakes -- like taking Debbie Cook to court.

You are correct. There is no one left with any ethics, morals or intelligence.

I've been laughing (rather loudly) since I became aware that the sky is falling for Miscavige and his zombies..had no idea they were guilty of such nastiness as murder, extortion, Human Rights violations and so on.Scientology tried to recrute me when I lived in California 25 years ago , a rather funny episode when I laughed in the zombie's face when he showed me my "test results" graph and tried to convince me that I was in DESPERATE need of help and scientology was the only hope for me!Just for fun I recently took the "Oxford Capacity Analisis" again , online and email'd the "church"Here in Hannover , Germany where I live but so far they haven't gotten back to me ..I was hoping to be able to ask a few questions about the "suicide" of Flo Barnnet or the disappearance of her daughter Shelly and why exactly is it called "Oxford capacity analysis"When it's in no way connected to Oxford University? Still waiting for the chance to laugh out loud again!

And today was even better. I love how Debbie's attorney wanted to keep going anyway. Everyone knows how very, very damaging this is to Miscavige.

And, finally, David Miscavige caught on. You know he was the one who said "Quit! Stop it! Make her shut up!" Anyone with any intelligence knew this would happen. Miscavige, of course, isn't that smart.

I actually don't think Miscavige is an idiot. Surely, he is not nearly as smart as he thinks and being a high school dropout he is very undereducated. However it did take some intelligence and cunning (but mostly brutality and recklessness) to take over CoS.

The problem is that he is a Sociopath. He is incapable of putting himself in other people's shoes and seeing their point of view. Only thing he can do is try different manipulation techniques and see what works and what doesn't. And he was surrounded by heavily indoctrinated drones for the most of his life. David no longer knows how actual people think. Living so long among marionettes will make anyone's cunning skills rusty.

It is probably shocking to him that no one in the wider world is prepared to dance to his tune.

He certainly has some brains but his only real skill is staying in power at any cost in a rapidly shrinking cult.

Idiot? No, I don't think so either. I do enjoy calling him stupid and he really is -- he does such stupid things but he certainly has cunning and he has enough smarts to keep many of the faithful still believing in what a "good job" he is doing.

I mostly agree with you. His sociopathic urges make it imperative that he continue to have slaves and servants to punish and abuse, which means he must keep control at all costs. He is, simply, insane.

@ Arthur. Just wondering if you have any first hand knowledge of abuses Debbie inflicted on staff. I doubt very seriously if she infliected anything on anyone else even close to what she endured. She was in the "Hole" and I believe there is just one Hole and they were all top Executives. What she endured gave me nightmares and caused her to want to leave. I don't think she is that stupid to put good people through anything like that. I'm just saying...

The big question now is--will DM drop the suit altogether and will his attorney drop him now that he knows what lays ahead.I hope the suit continues so Debbie can air some more dirty laundry. She seems quite willing to do so. She looks exhausted. Must be hard to continue to believe SCN and LRH are kind and have witnessed and experienced all that she has. She looks beat and my heart breaks for her. Waking up is hard to do.

I doubt it. David Miscavige isn't very intelligent. He thinks he can force his way on everybody. He probably already has PIs investigating the judges. He wants to punish Debbie and sanity will probably not prevail. It will only get worse.

It is sad that Debbie still appears to believe the myth but, like Marty, it's useful for getting her message to the other True Believers.

Obviously, my connections to current Scientologists is a bit limited but, from what I'm hearing, the reactions are split rather deeply. There does not appear to be a middle ground. Many are in full agreement with what Debbie has said but there are still a solid core of those who vehemently reject Debbie's message. This can only accelerate the exodus -- but only to a point.

As the church collapses, the inner core of Very True Believers will become smaller and smaller but that core will become more and more firmly encysted in the Scientology belief mindset. The smaller that group becomes, the more it will consist of the more rabid fanatics who cannot and will never think.

Those who violently reject the message from Debbie (and others) will become almost impossible to reach. Their defense of Miscavige's church will become fanatical and irrational. They will embody all the worst of Scientology with its "either you are one of us or you are The Enemy". These are the Kool-Aid drinkers for sure. I'm trying to imagine what would break this core from their fanaticism and I'm not thinking of anything.

What about rich Scientologists? Those giving cash to Superpower building and other bogus stuff? I know some of them have handlers but has Debbie's letter reached some of them? (Assuming she even had their e-mails) That's what really counts because you can't get much out of completely brainwashed Sea Org members any more.

And as another question, let me suggest to you a hypothetical scenario (since I see that you like to speculate, as do I):

Suppose they somehow throw Miscarrige in jail. Not on something big, let's say they find something minor that justifies, say, three months in jail. What would happen with CoS in those three months? Complete implosion?

I can't begin to guess about the rich Scientologists. If the regular Scientologists are difficult to contact, imagine the wealthy behind their secretaries and what not.

As for Miscavige in jail, we're getting down to the fanatical core of Scientology here. If David Miscavige went to jail, they would rally around, raise funds, picket. Their OT leader is being attacked and martyred by The Evil Ones. It would only make most of them even more fanatical. That's my speculation.

More speculation: Let's say the Non-Disclosure Agreement suit proceeds to trial, I think most certainly Debbie would win. That would be seismic. Imagine all those people bullied into signing bogus NDA suddenly waking up and realizing they are free to talk. Also, it would be official: DM sucks.

One of the things the Church of Scientology is very, very cagy about is this sort of thing. In the past, when it became obvious the church was going to lose a case, they've settled by waving millions of dollars in front of the other party. It was always accompanied by a gag order.

In this way, it doesn't go on the books as a "lose" and it doesn't become a precedent for future legal actions.

In this specific case, it is the church who has brought the suit, so it's a bit different. They could, easily, just drop the lawsuit when it becomes obvious to David Miscavige that he is losing. Then what?

I'm not a lawyer but then I believe it's up to Debbie. It could be that she asks for a declarative judgement from the judge that she did not violate the NDA. Perhaps she could ask for court costs. I really don't know all she could do. Perhaps the church would throw more money at her.

Or she could just accept the lawsuit being dropped -- and nothing really would be settled.

Understand that even if Debbie wins the lawsuit, the verdict would not be legally binding on any other NDA. I'm sure the verdict would be based on circumstances directly related to Debbie's situation -- such as coercion or the exact wording of her statements.

However, not to be totally negative, Debbie's win will, I believe, have a psychological impact on all those who have signed NDAs or have simply been afraid to speak out. Her win will have a very good effect.

JB, I don’t get it. Over 100 top scientology executives allow themselves to be locked up 24/7 in two double-wide trailers where they sleep on a floor covered with ants and in 106 degree temperatures because the air conditioning had been deliberately turned off.

Over 100 supposedly intelligent people “executives” allowed this to be done to them. There was no WTF, no riots, no protests, no confrontation, no using their godlike OT powers--just pathetic obedience. Well, I’m speechless. I just don’t get it. What is wrong with these people?

I'm with you on this. I've written a bit on the thought control tricks and techniques that Scientology uses to create the Scientology mindset -- which I know from personal experience -- but this goes far, far beyond that. This is full-on brainwashing.

Yes, many of those people were known for being quite intelligent but I doubt that would apply today. I am speechless as well. No one can be thinking, "All this abuse and deprivation is necessary to Clear the planet." There is no excuse.

Before these people ended up in "The Hole" their sense of self worth had to be completely destroyed. They have to totally believe that they deserve nothing better. That is the end product of associating with David Miscavige. I just can't imagine what that was like.

@Dave--I wondered the same thing. Wouldn't someone say, "Let's storm the door!!! There are more of us than them." Where's the good ol' American "Let's roll" spirit? It just seems unAmerican to give in to such bullying.

But I've been in similar situation and know it can happen. It is very Lord of the Flies. You don't know who you can trust. To speak up could bring the wrath of 99 prisoners on you. You are indoctrinated to believe that by speaking up you are admitting you have unclean hands. Thus worthy of more punishment.

And I think they must believe that this punishment is for their own good and if they go along with it, they will advance spiritually. You are right, you could not imprison that many against their will. Their minds have been fucked with. It is not really against their will. They believe on some level they deserve it. It isn't a matter of intelligence. They've been had. I believe anyone of us given the right circumstances could be made to believe something so warped. We would like to believe it isn't so, but I believe it is.

@ JB and Squash Lady. You said that:- their sense of self worth has been completely destroyed. - they totally believe that they deserve nothing better. - they believe that by speaking up they are admitting they have unclean hands and are thus worthy of more punishment.- they believe that they deserve this punishment and if they go along with it, they will advance spiritually.

Well, if these Scientology “executives” actually believe this, IMO they are far from being at cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time. Furthermore, what does this say about the magical state of Clear and the enhanced OT states of beingness?

Do Scientology auditing processes actually give people spiritual freedom? Sure doesn’t seem like it to me.

I personally think that they allow such abuse in part because they desperately want to believe that at least some of Scientology was real. Think about it. Those people spent decades and Hank knows how many hundreds of thousands of dollars to attain the state that's actually bogus. Google something called "sunk cost fallacy".

If you have some real skill, say, computer programming or medicine then those skills do not depend on other people believing in you. You can still program computers or heal people even if no one knows that you can do that. Sure, everyone wants recognition and validation but you can still take solace in the fact that you are skilled even if no one recognizes it or is resentful to you.

However, since nobody really gets any OT powers, OT people are only powerful if everyone else around them believes that they are powerful. Outside of the CoS bubble, they are nothing. That's why I think they would do anything and everything to protect that illusion, even getting slapped around by sociopathic peace of shit.

No, of course not. Scientology is all about control. That is not the "Road to Freedom".

At best, a Scientologist learns how to control people but, much, much more commonly, they become controlled. There is no freedom down that path."

I have given some thought to what the appeal is since I stuck with it for so long. I think that learning to control others is part of it--not in a bad way, but sometimes it is necessary and if you are too shy to do that, then it's a good thing. In the hands of a nut--it's a bad thing.

For me, it was empowering to learn that I was not my aberrations and that I could rise above them and/or have them erased. I did become more outgoing. So that is empowering.

At the same time I was also becoming dependent on the Church. What is weird about that, is that I had no idea and if you would have pointed it out to me, I would have denied it. The cost/benefit ratio had shifted but I was a goner. I had turned my power over to the Church but still believed I was becoming more self-determined.

I cannot help but wonder if there isn't something mind altering that happens because of the emeter and that little current of electricity that goes through you body. There is something very other worldly about it.

How people could attest to such states as Clear and/or OT and be convinced they have these certain abilities which clearly they don't, is a mystery to me. It happened to me and I still don't understand it. It is the biggest mind fuck on the planet, IMO.

@ Squash lady: How people could attest to such states as Clear and OT and be convinced they have these certain abilities which clearly they don't, is a mystery to me.

Fortunately this mystery is fading fast. It has been 60 years since Hubbard made his outrageous claims and it’s now becoming obvious to everyone, even Scientologists, that Clear or OT abilities simply do not exist. After some 60 years no one has them. Sixty years should be long enough – how about a little evidence.

Jason Beghe’s "Show me a motherf*cking Clear!" is the new Scientology mantra. I’m sure that’s the question most people new to Scientology ask, at least subconsciously. "Hey, it has 60 years, you have had long enough -- show me a motherf*cking Clear!"

Maybe these high-ranking executives went so meekly into 'the Hole' precisely [i]because[/i] they themselves had sent many juniors into the RPF over the years. They had rationalized it to themselves then, and between rationalization and guilt, they would have had no leg to stand on when it came their turn.

Here's the paradox. Something does happen. SCN processes and training do change you. The rip-off is that it isn't what is promised. And the trap is that there is no way to complain, so you get stuck thinking you are imagining it/it's your fault/it will get handled on the next level etc, etc.

The point I sometimes think about is that the "something does happen" is exactly the same "something" that happens through prayer, through therapy, through meditation and so many other self-reflective activities. Scientology, when it does deliver "something" doesn't produce anything different than a good meditation.

If you were into Scientology for 20 years you would be 20 years older. People naturally change just in the process of growing older. No one is the same at 40 as they were at 20.

Also, if Scientology actually did produce a “Clear” as advertized in Dianetics, if that actually did happen, I would personally be soooo apologetic. I would apologize till I was blue in the face and beg for forgiveness. There would be contrition like you have never seen. I have a funny feeling though that this will never happen.

I love the fact that Scientology demands religious recognition ... but only in a small number of countries. In all the other countries Scientology adamantly insists that it is not a religion - definitely not, it's just a business.

No other "religion" (or should I say, "business") is so opportunistic in its self-definition.

I've heard a bit about Carly Crutchfield. I find it hard to understand such behavior. Undoubtedly, she preyed on other Scientologists more than "wogs", because she already knew Scientologists were gullible people and were desperate to "get rich". Ugh!

What would you do with a million dollars? That’s right; one million smackers! Would you buy a condo in Maui that you could eventually retire to; how about a Lexus GS Hybrid, a Rolex perhaps, would you pay off those pesky credit card bills, the mortgage, or how about that vacation in Paris you always wanted?

Well, I have good news!!!! That money is all yours. All you have to do is contact the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) and apply for the "One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge." The form and all the information you need is here:

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html

You then meet with the JREF people, show them your OT powers and collect the cash. It’s as simple as that. It is yours — you’ve earned it! So don't delay, apply today and collect your $1,000,000.

- a person with no supernatural abilities who thinks he has them; or - a person with no supernatural abilities who knows he doesn’t have them?

Obviously the individual who thinks he has abilities he doesn’t have is worse off. He is delusional and living in a dream. He has illusions not abilities. Living in the real world has always been conducive to survival.

Depends on who you ask, and when. One of the hardest realities I had to face when I was waking up from Scientology's mindset was the fact that I did not have all the answers. Here you sit, inside Scientology's little bubble and you are "safe". Hubbard has everything all taped. You know all the answers. There are no unknowns.

Then, you start to wake up and you peer out of that bubble and there are tons of unknowns! It's scary! All your "answers" are now unknowns!

Believe me, I understand how a Scientologist would fight hard to hold onto their "answers to everything" and stay safely inside the bubble. It wasn't my choice but I do understand the feeling.

Of course, it is debatable whether they are better off or not, but it could be argued that they are, at least, happier.

You have to see this video posted on Tony's blog! Let me set it up for you.

Near the end of 1945, apparently L. Ron Hubbard singlehandedly (with some help from his friend Johny Arwine) kept Richard Nixon and a bunch of rogue Caltech scientists from overthrowing the government by threatening to use nuclear arms!

No kidding! And the Manhattan Project was going to fly Hitler and Emperor Hirohito over to watch an A-bomb demonstration from a giant grandstand in the New Mexico desert.

Has somebody has popped a cap here? How could Scientologists actually believe this?

Here is the video:http://vimeo.com/39378887

The full story from the Village Voice is here:http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/03/scientology_l_ron_hubbard_birthday_celebration_2012.php

Having been a Scientologist for over 30 years, it doesn't surprise me that Hubbard made up such stories -- that's what he did. Scientology claims Hubbard "lived the life of 20 men" because of all he claimed to have done.

If you list out everything he claimed to have done, the timelines just don't add up. He couldn't have "studied at the feet of masters in China", for instance, when he was only there as a tourist for a few days and never got very far out of the cities.

Comments will be moderated. Have patience, I get around to it pretty quick. As a rule of thumb, I won't approve spam, off-topic, trolling or abusive stuff. The rest is usually OK. Yes, you can disagree with me.

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I know a number of people want me to write more frequently and I consider that a great compliment.

I would, but I refuse to write just for the sake of writing. I want to have something to say that is worthwhile. I've written a lot and, too often, when I'm researching something I want to say, I find I've already said it, sometimes several times.

When I started this blog, there was a lot of confusion and bad information which I intended to help clear up. I think I did that. Now there are many very fine blogs and other sources of factual information and excellent opinions. Often, when I'm researching something, I find that others have already covered it quite well.